Moretti Giulia, Cavagnis Lucrezia, Flutti Emma, Silvestri Serena, Travaini Guido Vittorio
Faculty of Medicine, University of Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Aug 7;13(15):1933. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13151933.
Undercover police work is a psychologically high-risk profession that exposes officers to chronic stress, identity conflicts, and moral dilemmas. The aim of the present review is to evaluate the psychological consequences associated with undercover police work, focusing on specific psychopathological risk factors. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Studies were conducted in the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada. The present systematic review analyzed data from 380 current undercover operatives, 372 former UCOs, 578 officers without undercover experience, and 60 pre-operational agents. From an initial pool of 365 records, 10 studies were identified, of which 6 met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently reported psychological risk factors included anxiety, hypervigilance, identity issues, dissociative symptoms, and substance misuse. These were assessed using validated self-report instruments (e.g., SCL-90), structured interviews, and clinical evaluations. Long-term consequences were more prominent post-deployment, particularly among former UCOs. Undercover work is associated with an elevated risk of mental health problems, especially after the end of operations. Future research should focus on standardizing assessment tools and identifying protective factors. The findings support the development of targeted interventions such as pre-deployment psychological screening, ongoing monitoring, and structured reintegration programs to safeguard UCOs' well-being.
卧底警察工作是一项心理高风险职业，会使警察面临长期压力、身份冲突和道德困境。本综述的目的是评估与卧底警察工作相关的心理后果，重点关注特定的精神病理学风险因素。我们在PubMed、PsycINFO、科学网和Scopus数据库中进行了系统检索。研究在美国、英国、新西兰和加拿大开展。本系统综述分析了来自380名现任卧底特工、372名前卧底特工、578名无卧底经验的警察以及60名行动前特工的数据。从最初的365条记录中，我们确定了10项研究，其中6项符合纳入标准。最常报告的心理风险因素包括焦虑、过度警觉、身份问题、分离症状和物质滥用。这些通过经过验证的自我报告工具（如SCL - 90）、结构化访谈和临床评估进行评估。长期后果在部署后更为突出，尤其是在前卧底特工中。卧底工作与心理健康问题风险升高相关，尤其是在行动结束后。未来的研究应侧重于标准化评估工具并识别保护因素。这些发现支持开展有针对性的干预措施，如部署前心理筛查、持续监测和结构化重新融入计划，以保障卧底特工的福祉。
